“Very attractive wife. I confess, that surprised me. He’s something of a hulk, isn’t he?”
Ramsey dropped her head back on the leather rest and closed her eyes. “Where are we going?”
“Your house. I want you to call your financial advisor while I’m there. You’ll make all the arrangements in my presence.”
“It’s Saturday, Jay.”
“I know. I wasn’t thinking of that when you put me off yesterday. Then I realized you’d use it as a reason to put me off again today and tomorrow. Here’s what I know, Liz. When you have twenty-three million in investments, your advisor works onyourschedule. He’ll make things happen for you.”
“He won’t be in his office.”
“Don’t pretend as though you don’t have a cell number for him.”
Ramsey fell silent and stayed that way until she was home.
41
“Turn that off,”Jay said when the security alarm began to beep.
“Give me a moment. There’s time.” She put down her grocery totes, shrugged out of her jacket, and hung it on the tree before she began to quiet the warning beeps. The first time she put in the numbers nothing happened. She tried again. The beeping continued.
“What are you doing?” he demanded. “You know your code, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do. You’re making me nervous. I get another try. There’s still time.”
Ramsey applied herself again to the six-digit code and the beeping remained steady. She bit her lip, frowning deeply as she stared at the keypad. “I don’t know what’s wrong. It’s my birthday. You try.”
“Valentine’s Day.”
“Yes. Just use two digits for the year.”
Jay did, stabbing each key hard as if that would make a difference. The beeping went on for another four seconds and then exploded into a siren that filled every corner of the house. He let Ramsey push him aside and try the code again. When she punched it in this time, the siren abruptly stopped. The blessed silence was interrupted by her phone ringing.
“That’s the security company. I have to give them my safe word or they’ll send the police. You can look at the phone. It’ll come up as Allied Security.”
Jay pulled out her phone, looked at the screen, and then handed it to her. “No funny business. Put it on speaker.”
“Right.” Ramsey answered the call and set the speaker button. “Hello?”
A calm, professional female voice came over the air. “This is Allied Security. I have an alarm triggered for 2419 Keenan Avenue. Is everything all right?”
“Yes. I’m fine. I was having trouble with my keypad. The alarm is disarmed now.”
“Very well. To whom am I speaking?”
“Ramsey Masters.”
“Safe word?”
“Jabberwocky.”
“Thank you.”
Ramsey let the Allied employee end the call first and then put the phone in her back pocket before Jay tried to take it. Unconcerned, he let it pass.
Chief Bailey picked up his phone on the first ring. “Bailey. I’ve been waiting. How’s it going?”
“John Goodfellow here,” said the head of the task force at the other end of the call. “We have a bit of a situation.”
